May 2008 - DBR: Naseby or Brietenfeld
Ignoring all the usual apologies for being remiss in updating the website in a prompt and timely manner, your humble editor jumps right in to his first battle report, and hopes that no one notices it has been a good 6 months since his last dispatch on combat with 'Little Lead Dollies..

It's been so long since these photos were taken, that your correspondent can no longer remember if they were from the wildly unhistorical DBR version of Brietenfeld, where the Imperialists trounced Gustavas Adolphus, or the equally unexpected DBR version of Naseby, in which the Royalists trounced Oliver Cromwell... But managed to kill King Charles the I in the process.

At top right, this is starting to look like Brietenfeld. On the left the Swedish cavalry rushes up against the bumbling Saxons. On the right the Saxons, who were strangely lucky with their dice rolls, maneuver like the German General Staff creating a deadly mix of mounted Pistoliers and musket infantry.

At right, the remaining Swedes on the left, just before fleeing from the victorious Saxons on the right. The whole game sort of went that way, with the unfortunate Swedes losing on both flanks, and only able to claw out a hard fought draw in the center.

April 2008 - The High Ground:
Strangely, for a Colonial gaming club, 'Fire & Fury' is perhaps the most popular rules set with the membership. Consequently, there is at least one F&F Civil War game every month. This means from the editor's standpoint; 1.) He's always way behind on updating the web site (which does not necessarily have anything to do with Civil War Gaming), 2.) There are lots of games, with lots of tiny figures that are difficult to photograph, 3.) And he now has so many photos that he's no longer certain which images come from which games. The editor promises (This time for sure!) to do better next month.

At right, the red brick building is the seminary from Gettysburg, but this probably isn't the Battle of Gettysburg. Behind the seminary Major Weenie, this time in the guise of General Abner Doubleday - who some time during the game is scheduled to invent Baseball - struggles to entrench his weak division of only 2 brigades. In the foreground a huge division of highly motivated Confederates surges towards someone's misplaced libation. Meanwhile, Col. Winky gestures dramatically with the golf glove that indicates the manner in which he spent the afternoon immediately before the game.

At right, Rebel artillery, from a game which escapes the editor's memory, probably shelling Major Weenies hapless command to pieces... Again.

March 28th 2008 - 40K With Andre: Big Vehicle Night
The climax of the club's 40K armor battle. With many more important events transpiring to the left and bottom of this e photo. From left to right; 1.) The largest fighting vehicle in the game, on fire as the result of some very lucky shots from Major Weenie's walking dreadnoughts, 2.) Major Weenie's dreadnoughts, on fire, as the result of some very unlucky results when the huge tank exploded, and his dreadnoughts were standing too close, 3.) Major Weenie's libation. The libation pictured, followed by several others, was rapidly consumed by Maj.W in an effort to ease his disappointment when he realized that this would not be the very first 40K game in which at least some of his units survived.

March 14th 2008 - Dow's Mexican Revolution: with rules by 'Flemish Fast Play'
Recreating the Battle of Parral (March 5 - 7, 1913) in which 'Constitutionalist' commander Manuel Chao with 1,500 rebels attacked the 200 man Federale garrison, seized the town, but was eventually ejected when the Federales received around 1,000 reinforcements.

Top right, the town of Parral. Each building is supposed to sit atop one of the movement hexes drawn on the dark green battlefield carpet. However, some are too large for one hex, and the town is perhaps too large for the rules set. Well, it seemed to the umpire that once the Constitutionalists made it into the town the game degenerated into a sort of World War I slugging match, without the benefit of graceful maneuver.

At right, the Federales secret weapon, a Hotchkiss machine gun mounted on the back of a Model T truck. A defensive weapon which the historical defenders did not in fact enjoy.

At right, the secret weapon of the Constitutionalists, 'Sonora' the famous Curtis biplane. Here portrayed by an RE-8 on loan from the RAF. Just as the government forces did not have a machine gun, the rebels did not have air support. However, these two units spent the entire game duking it out with each other. So it was almost as if they weren't in the game at all, making it all the more like the actual battle. On realizing this the umpire gleefully clapped his hands, then repaired to the bar for a celebratory libation.

At right, the rebel mob - not really a mob, but many, many units squeezed into a limited number of movement hexes - prepare to surge out of a dry gully, the edge of which is rather unconvincingly portrayed by a piece of masking tape, and into the town of Parral. The Federales, in uniforms which the painter now admits are slightly too green, atop the building are not on the roof, but inside the building. However, the naturally lazy club members have agreed to place defending units on top of buildings, rather than inside, because in the last W.W.II game several squads were 'mislaid' inside the buildings they were defending, only to be discovered long after the game during clean up.

At right, several - seemingly interminable - turns later, the rebels break into the town. The building on the far right once bristled with Federales in the previous photo. The severely depleted, yet still numerous, rebels pour past and exceedingly decorative fountain (purchased at a local craft store as part of a large and expensive Christmas town hand painted in Asia) and towards the remaining members of the Federale garrison. Just when things couldn't seem to get any worse for the government defenders, the umpire makes just the right dice roll causing the downtrodden townsfolk to rise up against their Federale oppressors. Immediately there after two units of machete swinging peons appear immediately to the rear of this hapless Federale squad.

At right, the arrival of the expected, and much hoped for by the Federale players, government reinforcements. Across the town square comes; first a unit of Chinese 1920's infantry (converted into Federales), second a unit of French 1914 Chasseurs (converted into Federales), a mounted 1870 Prussian dragoon (converted into a Federale colonel), and finally 1900 German Marines (converted into Federales). The last, and greenest, of the Federale reinforcements is the recycled unit of roof top Federales from two photos back. At the bottom of the photo exuberant rebels, they do seem to be winning at this point, surge across the square to launch what would be a bayonet charge... If any of them had bayonets. One might then describe this as a 'Six Gun and Cigar Charge.' It really is a bit surprising how many 'Mexican' figures are sculpted gripping cigars in their teeth by today's manufacturers.

At right, much later in the evening the Federales are still striving manfully to cross the town square from the previous photo. The fact that the 'Green Federales,' who were the third unit to enter the square, are now in the front rank of the government attack should indicate the high casualties experienced by the preceding two units. However, the mounted colonel is still alive. Shortly after this photo was taken the Federale commander pointed out that a ruling this turn by the umpire was exactly the opposite of a ruling the previous turn on the same subject. The umpire blinked twice, looked down at his drink, shuffled his papers, and spoke those immortal words, "Oh? So I made a mistake. Screw you!" Shortly thereafter the Federale commander admitted his inability to recapture the town and threw in the towel, meaning that the 'game rebels' did better than the historical ones.

February 22nd 2008 - Star Fleet Battles:
The expressions on the members' faces indicate just how exciting a game this was. Or perhaps it indicates the membership's reaction to this classic, one might almost say antique, board game. The paucity of members in the photo bears testament to the complexity of the rules, and the superior quality of the buffet provided that evening. The empty champagne flute on the table indicates the presentation of yet another 'Festival of Exotic Cocktails.' Yes, it's no surprise that The Bengal Club is the only collection of gamers whose unofficial motto is, "A Gentlemen's Drinking Club With a Gaming Problem."

.February 15th 2008 - Col. Winky's Colonial Campaign:
The Afghan Ambush.
Rumor has it that the most hotly contested portion of this battle was the rules debate held online before a single figure was placed on the table. However, the actual game developed along lines typical for Bengal Club Colonial games. The British deployed along the edge of the table and prepared for a hard fought slog towards the Afghan positions on the high ground. The Afghans deployed, not on the high ground, but as close to the British deployment area as possible. Then charged on turn #1.

At right, hordes of Afghan irregulars smash into the Corps of Guides, which will soon flee. Behind the Guides are the Godon Highlanders, who will remain on the table, but will suffer 70% casualties.

Below left, with Afghan regulars (here portrayed by French Turcos) in the front and irregulars behind, the mountain host swarms down on the British, as seen from the East. Below right, the same host, as seen from the West.

After some 6 hours of gaming the British won, with 50% casualties and the Afghans lost, with 70% casualties. "French Guest Gamers" were suitably impressed by the standard Bengal Club strategy of "Rushing at the enemy with battle axes" rather than using rifles and shooting or anything like that.

January 25th 2008 - Blue Max: Admittedly your humble corespondent is now attempting to describe a game from some six months ago, but we at The Bengal Club are nothing if not professional in our approach to this sort of thing.

At right, say.. Have a look at the lovely terrain on those hexes. Capitaine Ouest Le Boeuf sure did a fine job on that road... And the church too... And look at those trees! OK, so there's Major Weenie, in an SE-5, all alone in a sky full of German aircraft. So it must still be early in the game, because the good major hasn't been shot full of holes yet, and his plane isn't on fire.

Bottom right, that's more like it. Slightly less German planes, but Major Weenie's plane is full of bullet holes, and on fire for good measure. Oh, and in a tail spin, and his pilot has been shot through the head. If memory serves this is only on turn #2. However, the good major insisted on rolling the dice each turn, pretending that he was trying to pull out of the spin. So the Germans circled about him like hungry sharks, blazing away with their guns, instead of shooting at other Allied pilots who were still in the game, but not quite such good actors as the, late/ex, Major Weenie.

January 11th 2008 - DBA Tournament:
in multiple scales, where 15mm troops were the 'tall ones' for the evening.

At right, a grown Frenchman, the concentration apparent on his face, confronts an American youth, whose facial expression may indicate just how the game is going. Once again your correspondent no longer remembers much about the game, except that it was DBA, and that these armies were not mere 5mm figures, but rather 6mm figures. Why do we play with 6mm figures? The answer is, "It's all that extra detail."

Below, 6mm Romans moving away from camera towards 6mm Macedonians?

At right, Umm... 6mm Romans moving inexorably against... 6mm Gauls, maybe?

Bottom right, the 'Welcome to Our Favorite Frenchman' chocolate cake, with whipped cream and strawberries. A spectacular item, much beloved by the club's baker. In this case perhaps the club's provider, as he admitted to buying the desert on the drive over to the club that Friday night. He prefers it to the 'World's most Labor Intensive Cake,' but more about that below, in the Xmas section.

Late December 2007- The Bengal Club Christmas Party: with yet another go at the record for 'Max Girls In Club.'
At right, it's Xmas, so it must be time for 'Funny Hat Night."

Below, general confusion, with a genuine effort at the record for 'Max Girls In Club."

Below right, must be one heck of a story, which we all hope has something to do with miniature gaming.

Above left, the 'second funniest hat, and the 'funniest hat' just before batteries were turned on, and the red, green and yellow hat began to dance.

At center, a typical Bengal Club member.

At right transfixed by the desert tray.

Above, the most 'labor intensive' cake in Christendom, allegedly containing 27 different types of chocolate.

At right, the club's pastry chef strives manfully to slice the afore mentioned cake with a knife made only of mere steel.